


The Roses We Grow Have a Terrible Smell

by Jiving_With_The_Vibes



Category: We Happy Few (Video Game)
Genre: Because this is Joy we're talking about, But first I'm gonna torture the Bobbies, Drug Use, Eventual Happy Ending, Eventual Smut, F/M, Found Family, Gen, M/M, Memory Loss, Psychological Torture, Tags May Change, There's a kid in Wellington Wells and it goes as well as you'd expect, This particular group of Bobbies share one braincell, Underage Drug Use, We're gonna talk about Constable Rossetti's Wife's cake at last, the very bad thing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-12
Updated: 2021-02-12
Packaged: 2021-03-18 14:00:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 730
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29369655
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jiving_With_The_Vibes/pseuds/Jiving_With_The_Vibes
Summary: Ruth Mininski was sixteen years too lucky. She should not have been surprised when her secret - her very existence - came to light. She should not have been surprised when she lost everything that kept her safe. She should not have been surprised when she was captured by several of the many nightmarish people her mother warned her about: the Constables of Wellington Wells.What she truly was surprised about was how she - and those around her - might have a way out of a blighted, Joy-filled town.But she must first gather the resolve to do even the most unthinkable of acts. And her unlikely allies must first learn to live with the heinous things they themselves have done.(Takes place during the main game and during the We All Fall Down DLC)(Title based on a line from "It's A Joy" by The Stupendium)
Relationships: Bobby (We Happy Few)/Original Character(s), Johnny Bolton & Victoria Byng, Roger Bacon (We Happy Few)/ James Maxwell (We Happy Few)
Kudos: 2





	The Roses We Grow Have a Terrible Smell

_September. 1947._

~~~

What was the point of commenting on a bleak day when all the days since the children have gone have been nothing otherwise? Even with the sun shining, the birds chirping, the trees slowly changing to warm shades of orange and yellow, not one true smile has cracked since they gave up the children.

 _Stop it_ , Charity Mininski scolded herself as she sat wearily at the kitchen table, her morning tea and toast untouched. _Stop with all those thoughts. They won't bring them back._

But that only led to more horrid thoughts: _What if the children don't come back at all? What if the Germans never return them - safe and sound?_

_Why did we let the Germans take them in the first place?_

"Charity?"

She lifted her head from staring at her cup of tea, catching Jakub's soft, concerned eyes from across the table. His breakfast was also untouched, the newspaper spread in his hands, though Charity knew Jakub couldn't bring himself to take in the words anymore.

She smiled, or at least, she shaped her mouth to form as much of a smile as she could. "I'm... fine."

Jakub reached across the table, taking her hand in his. "How's Adam? Or Esther?"

Charity raised an eyebrow before glancing down at her stomach, which had not yet began to show. "I thought you wanted to go with a Polish name?"

Jakub shrugged, his chocolate eyes softening even more. "Perhaps for the next one? I was thinking we should go for an English name. Something simple. David? Or Joseph? Mary? Or Ruth?"

The world may be bleak, but at least she and Jakub will soon have their own joy to bring back some sense of true happiness. At least their child will not be taken away like the others.

There was a loud noise outside, like a door slamming, followed by muffled shouts. Someone yelled, "Let my wife go!"

It sounded like it came from the house from across the street. _The Hunts live there..._

Jakub and Charity froze when they heard a man's voice strained with grief and rage. "We know your dirty little secret. Sarah Cobbler saw your wife through one the windows."

"Why do you care?!"

"Why do we care?!" A woman shrieked. "Why should your wife go struttin' around in her home like that while we suffer with all that we lost?! Why should she get to parade herself while she's in a family way?"

Charity couldn't believe her ears. Mrs. Hunt was pregnant as well? She remembered that Mrs. Hunt had stayed indoors for the past three months, no one but her husband saw her during that time.

Was she trying to hide her pregnancy? Whatever for?

"We lost our children! Why should you - Why should you -"

Someone sobbed. Then the screams started.

In a second, Jakub and Charity dove under the table, holding each other in terror. The screams grew louder in volume, followed by awful, _awful_ noises.

"NO! STOP! MY BABY!"

Charity clasped her hands over her ears, Jakub hugging her tightly as Charity's condition allowed him to, his hands over her stomach protectively. They cowered underneath the kitchen table, trying to tune out the screams and shouts -

A sharp, brutal sound. Like someone's arm breaking. Or someone's head falling on the cobblestone. Charity didn't want to know, she didn't want to go out and see for herself, she didn't want to know anything else.

She was suddenly glad that she and Jakub never told anyone about her pregnancy.

Silence. An aching silence.

Jakub and Charity remained under the table for what seemed like hours, waiting for the nightmare to return. Waiting for the townspeople to break down their door and come after the Mininskis, come after their baby...

Charity could feel Jakub's erratic heartbeat, his panting, panicked whisper heavy with a fear she never heard before in his voice. "This isn't safe. This isn't safe, we're not safe, _oy gevald_..."

"We have to leave," Charity uttered.

"We can't. General Byng won't let anyone leave Wellington Wells." So Jakub _was_ able to read the paper this morning.

"What do we do? What do we _do?_ "

Jakub pulled her closer, cradling her stomach, which had not yet began to show. Not yet.

"We hide. For as long as we can. And perhaps... perhaps sometime later, we might have a chance. All of us."


End file.
